Been a While
by Sapphire Phantom
Summary: The friends are in Central Park when Tag Jones shows up with a family all his own. The groups start spending time together and find similarities between themselves, some of which they're not sure are good. References Don Flack from CSI:NY a few times.
1. Been A While

**A/N: Hi, people! … Phantom would like to add "Hello my freaky darlings!" to that. It's Phantom and Sapphire, back again. We're reposting this to fix a coulpe of things and such. We don't own Friends, what you don't recognize is ours (mwa haha). Anyway, enjoy and review. No flames, but constructive criticism is alright… well, at least for Phantom, it is. **

Rachel, Ross, Monica, Chandler, Joey and Phoebe were walking along one of the paths in Central Park with a three and a half year-old Emma and two-year-olds Erica and Jack. The day was beautiful; not a dark cloud in sight. The area of the park they were in was quite crowded with people taking advantage of the weather, so a lot of people were around them, making it hard for them to find a nice open spot to settle in.

" Hey what about that one?" Rachel suggested, pointing to an abandoned looking table. It had a bag that looked like it was from Subway on it.

Ross shook his head, " It looks dirty," he said.

" Ross it's a park," Rachel glared at him, " The table is going to be dirty. God, you're worse than the kids!"

" Yeah, and besides Monica has her cleaning supplies in her purse." Chandler pointed out.

" I _so_ do not!" Monica looked at him, and then sighed, " You're right, I do! But you never know what kind of germs are at a park so you can never be too prepared!"

" There's a table." Mike pointed to a picnic table, across the park, " Doesn't look too dirty to me."

Monica patted her bag, and grinned, " Just in case," she said.

They found the spot Mike had found, and started to settle down and have the sandwiches they had brought when Rachel "aw"ed and pointed at something, startling everyone else. Ignoring the fact that she had noticed their reactions, Rachel pointed at a couple who was in the middle of one of the sections of grass. They were watching as a little girl played with a German Shepherd. The woman laughed and rested her head on the man's shoulder, blocking his face from view temporarily. She also had a hand on her stomach, just as a pregnant woman would. Their backs were facing the other group.

"Look at that!" Rachel grabbed Ross' hand. "I want that to be us in a couple of years!"

Ross blinked and looked down at Rachel's own stomach, which was sticking out due to the fact that she was pregnant. All they were missing was the dog. What world did she live in?

Rachel seemed to read his thoughts and just rolled her eyes before looking back at the couple. "It's still adorable. I mean, look! The girl looks just like her mom!" she insisted.

The group laughed and looked to see her observation. However, they all stared as the next development of the scene unfolded in front of them. The man had leaned forward and swatted playfully at the German shepherd when the dog barreled over to him. Of course, it was nothing new to see a full-grown man playing with the dog. It was _who_ was playing with him that shocked everyone. The man who had started to play-wrestle with the dog was none other than Tag Jones.

"Whoa." Joey was the first to speak. "Who didn't see that comin'?" he raised his hand. "I didn't." He looked around. "Anyone?" He thought he wasn't backed up, but everyone did agree, they were just too surprised to voice it at the moment. Then again, they figured they should've expected it. It was New York, the Big Apple, after all. It was huge, but it made for a small world. Phoebe finally raised her hand in agreement, but everyone else remained silent. Mike and the children were the only ones silent for a different reason: wondering just who the black-haired man was. The only one who didn't keep her reaction in check was Rachel, because she literally let out a screech.

Alarmed, Tag looked over.

Rachel clamped her hands over her mouth and whirled around, but it was too late. Tag had already seen her.

"Rachel?!" Tag asked, getting up and walking over to her. The little girl and woman he was with just looked at each other before getting up themselves and following him.

Rachel turned back around and put on an overexaggerated smile. " Tag! Hi!"

"It is you!" Tag grinned before pulling her into a hug. "Wow!" he pulled away and looked her over. "You look great!". He looked at the others. "You all do!" he looked at Mike, and the smile dropped. "Uh… who are you?" he looked at the kids. "And these guys?" he added.

Rachel blushed, curious as to his reaction about Emma. "Well, this is Mike, Phoebe's husband, then Erica and Jack, Monica and Chandler's twins."

Tag nodded a greeting and shook hands with Mike and smiled at the twins. "Tag Jones."

"Short for?" Mike asked.

"Nothing, actually." Tag replied.

"Hm." Mike nodded.

" You mean its not short for _anything_?" Joey said, shocked, " I thought it was short for like Taggart or something?"

Tag raised an eyebrow, then shrugged. "Eh, that's my father. I'm legally tag. Something about him not wanting to be one of those 'old fashioned boys'… I really don't see why, though. It's like Joe and Joseph. Still pretty much the same, and Joe's automatically Joseph, not just Joe, and… you get the point." He dismissed his argument.

Rachel smiled, then looked at Emma. "Onto the rest. This is Emma." she paused and inhale briefly. "Mine and Ross' daughter."

Tag looked stunned briefly, but took it in strides. A smile was back on his face within a couple of seconds. "Really? Good for you!"

Rachel tried to hide her own surprise at his reaction. That went better than expected. She looked at the two behind him. "Your turn. Who are your friends?"

Tag laughed. "Right." He turned around and looped his arm around the woman's waist. "This is my girlfriend, Taylor."

"Hi." The other woman took her hand in a heartbeat and shook it.

" Hey, how you doin'?" Joey leaned back, winked, and nodded.

Taylor raised an eyebrow.

Tag pointed at Joey warningly, " Don't." He remembered that was Joey's signature pickup line, and he wasn't going to lose his girlfriend to it. "I repeat, girlfriend."

" Oh, right." Joey looked down, but then looked back up, " Does she have a sister?"

" Um, no," Taylor said, " I'm an only child."

"…Why do I think you're lyin'?" Joey asked.

"Anyway," Rachel cut in, trying to get past that subject, and looked at the little girl who was now hiding behind Taylor . She noticed the girl looked like Emma's age, "Who's this cutie?"

Tag turned and his grin widened, "Jules, come on. Don't be shy."

The girl just looked up at him.

Tag sighed, but the smile never left his face. "This." he picked up the girl. "Is Juliet." He leaned towards Andrea. "Our daughter."

Rachel blinked again. "Oh." She repeated in the same way that she had before.

Joey, who was still in back of the group, leaned forwards so only the others in the back could hear, "Heh. Awk-waaaaaaaaard."

Monica stepped on his foot.

" Daddy, what does awkward mean?" Juliet asked.

" It means...unexpected." Tag explained to her.

" This isn't awkward." Rachel waved a hand a Joey. She glared nervously at him, and he looked down at the ground. " It's just old friends running into each other."

" How about that scooter! Been a while, hasn't it? Have you ever tried that on one again?" Joey looked up at Tag, trying to make the situation lighter. Even he knew there needed to be a subject change, so that was saying something.

Tag laughed. "No. Tried to, then I got this one," He pointed at Taylor . "Followed by this one." He swooped down and kissed Juliet's cheek, causing the girl to giggle.

" What scooter?" Mike asked, confused.

" Don't ask." Chandler said.

Tag laughed, then looked at Rachel "Do you guys still have that?"

"Yeah, we do." Rachel nodded. "Someone wouldn't let us get rid of it." She shot Joey a look.

Joey whistled and looked away.

His five other friends glared at him.

" What?" he said, finally admitting to it, " It's fun to ride. It would be a _waste_ to get rid of it. Emma you'd like a scooter, wouldn't you?"

Emma laughed. "Sure!"

" Don't put any ideas into her head, Joey!" Rachel warned, " That thing is dangerous."

Tag laughed, then patted Joey's shoulder, " Yeah, "he said, "Then I better count on you to hook me up with that thing again."

Joey laughed. "You bet."

"Yes!" Tag cheered. Then paused. "Of course, if Tails here doesn't mind."

Taylor laughed. "Shut up. You know I don't care what you do. Thing is, I'm with Rachel here. Just don't give Julie any ideas." She kissed his chin. "Go right ahead and get that scooter when she's in school."

"See!" Rachel exclaimed, " Someone agrees with me!"

Tag wrapped an arm around his girlfriend and smiled at the others. If it was one thing he knew, it was that exchange could've gone much worse, and it went over perfect. He couldn't ask for much else. "Hey, some of my buddies are coming over to watch the Jets game in a couple of days. I still live at my place. Why don't you guys join us? I can't guarantee that the Jets are gonna win, but it's worth catching up, huh?" He offered.

"I'm in!" Joey nodded. All he needed to hear was "football" and he was game, no pun intended.

Rachel nodded. "Sounds good here, too." She looked at her group. "You guys?"

"Sure," the others replied.

Rachel turned back to Tag and smiled. "Tell us when to show up and we're there."

"Great. Hm… say, three?"

"We're in."


	2. The Ball

A day later, it was like nothing had changed in the three years that Tag and the others had been apart. Joey, Ross and Tag were at the bar of the coffee house, laughing at several different things. Phoebe was being herself with Taylor, thus practically scaring her away. Emma and Juliet were on their way of becoming fast friends, even if they were just talking about smells in the place and the strange mustache on the man beside "Juliet's daddy."

"S, it's really nice to see you guys again." Tag said as a waitress brought him the latte he had ordered. "I miss hanging out with you guys."

"Same. So tell us, what happened with you and Robin? How'd you meet? What have yo been up to in the past couple of years?" Rachel asked. She was trying to keep a smile on. Even though she loved Ross more than anything, she missed the adventure of being with Tag. She needed an appropriate relationship, which was what she now had with oss.

"Well, I left the city for a bit to see my folks, and we all got invited toa family friend's barbeque, and that's where I met Taylor." Tag replied, glancing at Taylor a few feet away and smiling. "We were together for a year before Jules came along."

"So the girls were born a year apart." Ross noticed. "Isn't that funny how that kinda worked out, then Taylor and Rach are pregnant at the same time. You said she's three months along, right?"

"Uh huh."

Ross chuckled. "Hm. We have kids one year apart and it's one month for the kids on their way."

Tag raised his eyebrows. "Yeah, I guess so!"

Ross nodded. "So do you guys know what you're having?"

Tag shook his head. "No, Taylor wants to know, but I want it to be a surprise, and she went with that. I have a feeling I'm gonna have to hold her back when she gets her ultrasound when we're finally able to see what it is. Hell, it may be tough for me not to look, too. Who knows." He shrugged, then looked back at Taylor. "Isn't that right, babe?"

Taylor glanced back. "What?"

"Baby's gender." Tag replied.

"Yeah. I'm fine with not knowing, as long as it's healthy I'm happy, you know?"

"Amen to that." Monica agreed. "That's how I was and now look at me. One boy, and one girl, both healthy."

Taylor grinned. "That's great. You have wonderful kids, by the way."

"Thanks. Juliet's not too bad herself."

Taylor laughed. "Thanks right back to you, then."

Monica nodded. "Hey, I don't mean to go from this to personal, but I gotta ask. How do you guys handle being unmarried with one kid and another one on the way? Your parents don't wanna kill you?"

"No. Tag and I both come from parents who were unmarried, so it's fine with them. We're also older than our parents were when they had us, so…"

"That's wonderful. Sounds like you have great families, too."

Tag snorted. "Same as everyone's as far as mine goes."

"He means 'yes" Taylor cut in, getting out of her seat and walking over to stand next to Tag.

Chandler smirked. "Nah, that's kind of questionable with the scooter and plant… and…."

Monica shot him a look.

Chandler stopped. "…Then again, I shouldn't talk because of what I have to deal with."

Tag opened his mouth.

Chandler shook his head. "You DON'T wanna know."

Tag raised an eyebrow, then nodded slowly.

Taylor laughed. "You people are crazy. I love it."

"Then welcome to the family, hon." Monica replied.

Taylor laughed again. "Thanks again. I'm sure it'll be a riot." She looked down when she saw Juliet running over to her. She scooped the girl into her arms when Juliet reached her. "What is it, sweetie?"

Juliet leaned over and whispered something in Taylor's ear.

Taylor nodded. "Alright, Jules, but we're coming right back after, okay? Give daddy a kiss before we go." She moved her arms so Juliet could lean back and give Tag a kiss on the cheek. "Be back soon, daddy."

Tag smile.d "Where are you guys going?" he asked.

"We're gonna go get ice cream next door. We'll be back in a couple of minutes."

Joey, who had only heard "ice cream", bolted over. "Can I come?!"

Taylor shook her head. "Sure, come on. Anyone else wanna come? I can bring stuff back, too."

Rachel shrugged. "Just bring back a couple of pints of vanilla and we're happy."

"Okay." Taylor nodded. "Be right back."

--

Later on, Monica invited everyone to the house in Westchester for dinner. The girls and Jack found their way the play room, and Monica kept a baby monitor in the kitchen to keep an ear on them. It was the most productive way to cook a nice meal and be able to have adult conversations. Tag and Taylor had made themselves comfortable in the spacious living room, while Monica went to go start cooking, with Rachel at her side. Chandler had went upstairs to set the kids up with anything they wanted to play with that was on a shelf they couldn't reach. Tag seemed to have his full attention on something outside, his body completely pressed against the side of the couch facing the window. When Taylor noticed, she leaned forward. "What?" she asked.

It took Tag a moment to realize she had questioned him. He snapped out of the trance, then grinned at her, more so than he had been when he was looking out the window. stare out the His body was pushed up against a chair that was next to the window, as he pointed to where it was he had been staring. "Those two dogs next door are doing it." Tag replied, before looking back out.

Taylor gasped, as her eyes followed where he was pointing. Two dogs were in the back yard of the house next door, well, doing it, just as he said. "You find this funny?" Taylor said, as Tag continued to grin, " I hope the kids don't see this from upstairs- and you, there's something wrong with you if _that's_ what you've been staring at this whole time." She laughed, betraying the disgusted tone she was trying to set.

"Please, sweetheart," Tag looked at her, "The window has to be above their heads. There's no way they can see two dogs doing it out the window."

There were footsteps on the stairs, and Chandler appeared. "What's going on?" he said, walking over to them.

"Two dogs are doing it in the place across from here. Have these guys heard of curtains?" Tag told him, looking back out the window.

Chandler dug his hands into his pocket, and nodded. "Not many have," he replied before wandering over to the window to confirm Tag's story."Yeah, the dogs always get at it once in a while ," he said, "The kids think they're dancing, or that's at least what Monica tells them. Two and a half year olds will believe anything."

"Remind me to tell Juliet when she asks," Taylor said, shifting to lean against Tag so she could tuck her feet into the corner of the couch.

"Looks like you're getting new neighbors," Tag told Chandler, as the black-haired man continued to survey the surrounding apartments. "The house with the frisky dogs has moving trucks in the drive way. I think they're moving."

"What?" Chandler launched himself at the window. "YES! They're moving! I've hated them for ages!"

" What did they ever do to you?" Taylor said, " As far as you're concerned they have the coolest dogs ever."

" They're not very nice people," Chandler said, " One of the twins threw a ball into their yard and they wouldn't let us get it back."

"Could be worse. They could've tried to pop it or something." Taylor offered.

"They did the next time it happened." Chandler cut her off.

"Ah." she said, " I'm kind of happy they're moving, too."

Chandler chuckled, " You have no idea," he said.

" What's going on over here?" Monica said, as she and the two other women, Ross, and Joey walked behind her, " What are you all staring at?"

Chandler pointed towards the window, " Those horrible people next door are moving," he told her, excitedly.

" The house with those dogs?" Rachel asked, and Monica nodded.

Joey laughed, taking a bite of the meatball sub he had in his hand.

Monica had just noticed this, and gave him a stern look, " You realize we're eating soon," she said, " And you _just _ate ice cream?"

" Mon, please," he waved her off with the hand that wasn't holding the sub, " I'm Joey."

Monica shrugged, " You're right, my bad," she admitted.

" Where does he put it all?" Taylor wondered aloud.

" I've actually been wondering that myself," Chandler said.


	3. The Kids are Alright

**A/N: We don't own Friends. **

"Hey, thanks for suggesting the park for today," Tag said, as they sat down on the ground, a table cloth spread out in front of him, " Although, I wish I didn't have to experience watching Joey run into that pole."

Joey frowned, and rubbed his head, "I saw the ice cream man!" he gestured towards the ice cream truck that was parked farther down the park, "I was paying attention to him, not what was in front of me."

"And how's that workin for you?" Tag grinned, watching as Juliet and Emma played on the playground that was about two feet away from them. Taylor was busy watching them like a hawk, because they were only two and three respectively. It wouldn't be happening if there were a lot of people around. Lucky for them the park wasn't too crowded.

"You're new here Tag!" Joey pointed out, "You don't get to make jokes."

He looked towards the set of swings at the playground, and frowned, "That kids getting the good swing," he observed a dark haired kid climbing onto the high swing, "I should be on that swing. Stupid pole!"

"How is that preventing you from going on the swings?" Taylor looked at him, and away from the girls for a fraction of a second before looking back, "Although I'm not sure why a person over thirty three would want to go on one." That last bit she muttered.

"I'm disoriented!" he said, "My judgment is impaired."

"And that's different from normal, how exactly?" Chandler interjected.

Taylor suddenly stood up, still looking towards the girls. She looked completely alert, and her arms were tight at her sides.

"Tag, I think you'd better go over there," she pointed towards the girls. Tag looked that way, trying to figure out what she was talking about when he noticed a blonde haired kid, who had to be about six years old, shaking his fist at two small girls. The two small girls were Juliet and Emma.

"Tag, I think you'd better go over there… I may not handle this one well." she pointed towards the girls. Tag looked that way, trying to figure out what she was talking about when he noticed a blonde haired kid, who had to be about six years old, shaking his fist at Juliet and Emma.

Tag looked over, and then sighed, seeing it. "On it." He made his way over. "Hey, kid!" He squeezed his way in between the children. "Whatever they did, they didn't mean to do it, okay? They're sorry."

The boy stared at him for a few seconds before kicking Tag in the shin. The boy ran as Tag let out a yelp of pain and jumped up and down.

"Toby, no!"

A moment later, a blonde man hurried over. "I'm sorry. Toby gets out of control sometimes. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine now." Tag replied through clenched teeth. He straightened out and looked at the man who was Toby's father, uncle, or guardian, and his expression of curiosity dropped. "Greg?"

"Tag?" The blonde, Greg, apparently, shouted. His own concerned look changed into a scowl.

Across the playground, the group wasn't quite sure what was going on now. They were all beside themselves when they saw the two men lunge at each other and fall to the ground. They just blinked when they realized the two were attempting to fight- and not playfully, either.

Even Emma and Juliet seemed to realize that these two men weren't friends. The girls looked at each other, looked at the men, looked at each other once more, and screamed in unison.

"Should we step in?" Rachel asked, not taking her eyes off of the men.

"No, this is clearly between them." Monica replied, and then her eyes reverted to Chandler.

Chandler's face fell, and he put his hands up. "You're not getting me in to break it up," he said, "I don't do that. I'm the funny one remember? I make _jokes_ in tense situations."

They heard a loud groan, as one of them punched the other.

"Not _sure_ what to say_ now_," Chandler added in a slow voice. He then looked at Monica, "Hon, seriously, I think you could take them both."

"This is _so _not the time for that," Monica raised an eyebrow, but then smiled, "But yeah, I could."

They all flinched when the other man punched Tag's shoulder, but Tag got him back with a head butt. They weren't quite sure if it was even happening. Hell, Tag could fight- well, at that. Who would've thought?

Phoebe leaned in. "I don't know, it's getting kinda ugly… no blood, though- oooh, there's a nosebleed for Blondie. Never mind. Dang, Tag got him goooooood."

Rachel shook her head. "I still say no- OH!" She gasped when she saw one factor in the men's fight that changed everything. "Oh my God, that guy just pulled Tag's hair. He _messed _with the _sacred hair_!"

They all looked at her with questioning looks on their faces.

"She's right," Taylor sighed, and added, "Tag is very meticulous about his hair."

"Get him!" Monica pointed at the men, and their attention was immediately back on the fight.

"So why do you think they're fighting?" Phoebe said, after a moment of silence as they watched Tag and the other man nearly killing each other.

There was a mutter of, "Don't know," from everyone.

They groaned in frustration, and then made their way to the direction of the brawl. They didn't expect to be joined by another man when they were halfway there. They just raised their eyebrows when the second blonde yanked Greg off of Tag. "Take it easy, Greg!" the new blonde ordered the other.

"Shut up, Jeff!" Greg snapped, "This has nothing to do with you."

"It does when there are kids involved," the man's mouth formed into a tight line from one side of his face to the other, "Did you really want Toby to see that? Now I'm not sure what problem you have with this guy, but for the sake of your son, please, walk away.

Greg shook his head menacingly at Tag, glared at the man, and then looked at his son.

"We're leaving, Toby," he grabbed the kids hand, and they were walking in the other direction.

The man named Jeff looked like he was going to follow Greg and Toby, but instead stayed right where he was.

"What just happened?" he asked.

"Let's just say we didn't exactly get along in High School," Tag said, "It's no big deal, it really isn't a…I think I need to walk away and digest what just happened here."

He walked away in the opposite direction that Greg had, leaving the rest of them very confused.

"Who are you again?" Monica asked, realizing they really didn't know who this person was and how he knew the man that had attacked Tag.

"I'm Greg's brother," he explained, "And I apologize for his behavior. He's doesn't always think before he acts."

"Thank god you were able to break it up," Ross said, "Or I would have had to step in." He nodded his head and stepped forward a fraction of an inch as if to say he meant business.

"Ross," Joey looked at him incredulously, arching his eyebrows, "Really? You bruise like a peach."

Ross sighed, and stepped back, saying, "_Joey_!" in a low squeak.

"Are you from around here?" Monica asked, attempting to ignore the awkwardness that filled the air. It was New York City, and fights happened all the time, but it didn't make it any less awkward.

"No, I'm not, actually," Jeff, dug his hands into the pockets of his jeans, and sighed, "I'min the city helping my brother get a couch up to his apartment. I actually just moved to Westchester, actually with my family."

"Oh, where out in Westchester?" Monica questioned, "Chandler and I live there, too!" Her voice was climbing decibels by the second as Chandler could see her getting excited. She gestured to him, pulling him towards her.

"Monica, calm." He felt himself needing to say. He actually felt himself needing to say that often, seeing as she got excited over little things. Such as the new mega duster that had gone on sale at a grocery store near their house just last week. It had been over ten years since he met her yet she hadn't changed one bit.

"Do you know where Park Street is?" he said, "We're moving into a house on that block."

"White house, blue shutters, big oak tree in the front?" Monica asked.

" Yeah, do you live around there?"

"Yeah, we do!" Monica said, "Hey neighbor!"

"You live in the house next door?"

" You live in the house with the dogs!"

" Yeah awkward questions were asked by my five year old daughter. Not fun."

They all laughed. Soon, they were saying goodbye for the day, since the kids were getting tired and needed a nap.

" It was nice meeting you," Jeff said, " And hey, see you soon, neighbor."

" See you around," Chandler said, and they went their seperate ways.

**A/N: We hope you enjoyed the chapter. Hopefully the next chapter won't take so long to get out. Happy Holidays **

**-SapphirePhantom-**


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